About Eric Cooper
After years of injuries and life stresses, Eric Cooper found himself trapped in chronic depression and debilitating pain.
In 2010, he began his transformative journey toward healing. Despite advanced studies in therapeutic massage, myofascial manipulation, neuro-muscular compression, and osteo-articular osteopathic manipulation, the pain persisted.
In 2015, Eric explored Traditional Somatics and completed a three-year training in the most advanced hands-on program available. Although it brought some improvement, he still struggled with pain. Traditional Somatics, focused on three patterns of tension, didn’t address the full complexity of his condition. By breaking away from formulaic approaches and adapting Somatics to his unique patterns, Eric began to find relief. His deep understanding of the nervous system as the root cause of tension and pain inspired him to evolve the practice further.
Over time, Eric developed The Eric Cooper Somatics Method (ECSM), an adaptable approach that helps clients uncover the unseen: the disassociated areas of the body that have lost their ability to move freely. This method effectively addresses the full range of tension lines and relationships in the body.
By restoring the connection between brain and body, this revolutionary method fosters a deeper understanding of movement as a dynamic, living experience. Using crescendos and diminuendos of effort, coupled with focused awareness, the method recalibrates the nervous system’s perception of the body. This process, rooted in awareness and gentleness, helps release the root causes of discomfort and pain, leading to profound results such as relief from chronic pain, improved mobility, emotional healing, and the rediscovery of hope and vitality.
The strength of The Eric Cooper Somatics Method lies in its adaptability. By emphasizing internal perception, personalized strategies, and a client-centered approach, it empowers individuals to take charge of their own healing.
With his rich background, transformative journey, and commitment to evolving these teachings, Eric Cooper offers a compassionate and effective pathway to healing. His dedication to advancing the practice of Somatics ensures its relevance in addressing the complexities of the human body—physically, mentally, and spiritually.
Eric provides workshops for in-depth learning, over 200 video movement lessons on his YouTube channel, and individual Zoom and in-person sessions.
“My mission now is to bring this improved method to the world,
helping others experience the relief and freedom I’ve found.”
-Eric Cooper
Developer of The Eric Cooper Somatics Method (ECSM)
Click for info on Eric Cooper's education and certifications
My Current Work
Over years of intensive training, personal exploration, and innovation, I have developed the Eric Cooper Somatics Method (ECSM), which addresses the real tension patterns and unconscious strategies that keep people locked in pain and postural imbalances. This exploration of movement, along with focused awareness, addresses the places and spaces that do not move, that we become disconnected from. The Eric Cooper Somatics Method focuses on bridging this disconnection that separates the mind and body, helping people reconnect to themselves, to become whole again.
Educational Background and Certifications
I hold a Bachelor of Arts degree from Beloit College, with departmental honors.
I have also completed extensive bodywork training, earning multiple certifications, including:
- Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT)
- Board Certified Massage Therapist (NCTMB)
- Certified Neuromuscular Therapist (CNMT)
- Certified Myo-Fascial Therapist (CMFT)
- Certified Onsen Techniques Therapist (COTT) – Advanced training in Osteopathic Osteo-articular Manipulation
While these approaches provided valuable insights, I realized that the nervous system’s habits are the core issue behind chronic tension patterns. This led me to entirely shift my focus from therapeutic manipulation to a purely somatic approach.
Somatics Training Background
I studied Hanna Somatics in great depth—a system that allows the brain to relearn control over reflexive muscle contractions that cause pain and stiffness. My formal somatics training includes:
- Hanna Somatic Exercise Coach (HSEC)
- Three-Year Graduate Program in Clinical Somatic Education (CCSE)
“You are one of my two most brilliant students.”
– Martha Peterson, founder of Essential Somatics
The Eric Cooper Somatics Method
In the years that followed, I evolved and refined my own approach, rejecting many of the limitations of traditional somatics. The result is a new, more effective modality—one that addresses the hidden tension patterns that underlie chronic pain, stiffness, and postural limitations. ECSM is an adaptable method that can fit every person; it does not force people into rigid protocols. The method focuses on the deeper tension relationships that manifest as hidden breathing restrictions, confusions, and unconscious holding strategies. The specialized movements are designed to guide the nervous system to unlearn and release these patterns.
“After years of pain, and trying so many methods, I am now completely pain-free.”
– Eric Cooper
Eric Cooper is a passionate Somatics expert dedicated to fostering individual growth through a unique and adaptive approach. Recognized for his sincerity, creativity, and personalized mentorship, each person’s journey is valued and encouraged.
“You are one of my two most brilliant students.”
-Martha Peterson, CEO of Essential Somatics, at the time I graduated from her 3 year traditional Somatics Practitioner program.
What Martha and I didn’t realize then was that it was only the beginning.
I shifted my perspective and broke free from the constraints of traditional methods,
refining and evolving the process into something that works for me and others.
This new version worked after nothing else did.
Now, my mission is to deliver a revised and improved version of this process
to those who need it.
I help people address why they have pain.
People with posture and pain problems come to me—often after trying many other solutions without success. Pain limits their lives. Through a specialized set of easy movements, I help them look inward and address the root of their pain.
I’m often able to help them profoundly change the cause of their pain entirely during one session, overcoming the trap, habit, or loop they had been stuck in.
Here’s a brief summary of my story:
I lived a life filled with stress and hard work, with decades of repetitive motion as a carpenter and a glass artist. I had injuries (many bicycle racing injuries, a motorcycle accident, a waterskiing incident, and work injuries) that were the genesis of what I interpret as opposing scoliotic bends. The result was unrelenting pain, tension, and sadness. I needed a cane to walk at 50, and everything was sore.
I’d lie awake at night, worrying, feeling stuck and trapped.
Starting in 2010, I went on a quest to find a solution. I found some relief in the traditional version of Clinical Somatics, originally developed by Dr. Thomas Hanna, but it wasn’t enough to fully resolve my pain. I improved and revised the approach, building the missing parts of the method to create an adaptable, highly effective system for finding and changing the root holdings that lock people into muscle tension patterns.
Today, my pain is gone, I am no longer trapped in depression, and my muscles are free from the constant soreness that once defined my life.
I am dedicated to helping people take control of their own journey, guiding them toward relief and a greater ease in their embodiment.
Change is possible.
There are so many reasons to be hopeful.
“I’m a firm believer in Thomas Hanna’s belief that Somatics would be the next revolution in Psychology therapy. Love where you have taken this work.”
-An advanced Hanna Somatics Practitioner